Day 1: Arrival in Venice & Introductory Bacari Tour
Welcome to Venice - one of the most charming cities of Italy. Upon arrival, you have a private water-taxi transfer to the hotel for the check-in. The rest of the day is at your own leisure to relax after the trip. 

In the evening you meet your local guide and your fellow travelers for an exciting introductory evening stroll around Venice. 

During your evening tour you are introduced to the authentic Venetian culture and get a chance to feel like a local yourself while you visit the local bacaries. Bacari is a type of bar where you have a glass of wine and enjoy "cicchetti" - delicious plates of traditional lagoon foods, including bread croutons or polenta with salt cod, marinated anchovies, fried fish and grilled cuttlefish, sardines in saor.  

While you visit three bars in Rialto Area you chat about your upcoming journey with your local guide and fellow travelers and relish the anticipation of the adventure that is already beginning!

Day 2: Venice Sightseeing Tour
After breakfast at your hotel, meet your private guide in the lobby and enjoy a wonderful walking city tour of all the must-see places.

Your sightseeing program starts with a visit to St. Mark's Basilica, where you can see the astonishing Pala D'Oro altar. Next you go up to Loggia dei Cavalli to enjoy the best panoramic views of St. Mark's Square.

Next on your list is the tour of the Doges Palace that includes crossing the Bridge of Sighs, visiting the old prisons and lushly decorated chambers of the Palace.

After the tour you return to your hotel or may go on an optional gondola ride.

Day 3: Day at Leisure & Departure
After breakfast and check-out you can explore and enjoy Venice on your own. We suggest visiting the Peggy Guggenheim Collection or joining our carefully planned optional day trip to the islands of Murano & Burano.

In the afternoon you are met at your hotel by an assistant for a transfer by a private water-taxi.  

Day 3: Arrival in Florence
Welcome to Florence! Upon arrival, your private driver transfers you to the hotel for check-in. The rest of the day is at your own leisure to relax after the trip.

Day 4: Florence Sightseeing 
After breakfast at your hotel, meet with your private guide and go on a comprehensive walking tour of Florence's highlights.

Today's program includes exploration of the Piazza del Duomo with a visit to the Baptistery dedicated to St. John the Baptist.

Your ticket to the Grande Museo del Duomo allows you to visit the other magnificent monuments of Piazza del Duomo in your free time within 72 hours: the Cathedral itself, the famous Dome, the Bell Tower, and the Cathedral Museum with works by Michelangelo and Donatello.

As you proceed to the main square of the city - Piazza della Signoria - you pass through the heart of the historical center with its landmark sites like Piazza della Repubblica and the Strozzi Palace. Stroll down via Tornabuoni, one of the most beautiful streets of the city, famous for its fine shops.

We will also cross over the Arno River on the Ponte Vecchio to enter the Oltrarno district where you see numerous local craftsmen shops and the beautiful Santo Spirito Church and Convent, built for the Agostinians. In this very part of the city you can find an early work of Michelangelo dating back to when he was just 17 years old.

During the tour we also visit the Galleria dell'Accademia to see Michelangelo's famous colossal statue of David, a must-see in Florence.

After the tour return to your hotel and enjoy an evening at your own leisure.

Day 5: Uffizi Gallery Tour & Evening Wine Tasting
After breakfast in your hotel, meet with your local guide and dedicate your morning to the exploration of the incredible Uffizi Gallery. Uffizi is home to an outstanding collection of art, including masterpieces by Michelangelo, Leonardo da Vinci, Raffaello, Botticelli. 

In the evening you meet your fellow travelers for a wine tasting organized for your small group. Enjoy a tasting of 3 different wines selected by the sommelier and paired with snacks.

Day 6: Departure
Following breakfast in your hotel, you check out and meet your private driver for the transfer.

Day 6: Highlights of Rome & Colosseum 
An hour and a half later you arrive in Rome. Your driver meets you and takes you to your downtown hotel where you meet with your guide and embark on a tour to discover the famous ancient treasures of the Eternal City.
 

You have a taxi transfer to Rome's hallmark site - the Colosseum. Originally known by the name of Flavius amphitheater, it was the biggest and most imposing building of its kind in the Roman world, designed as an arena for the fights of Roman gladiators and could hold up to 70 thousand spectators.


After touring Colosseum you proceed with a walking city tour to see the most famous attractions and hidden treasures of the Eternal City. You see the Spanish Steps, the Trevi Fountain, Pantheon, Piazza Navona, the famous Fountain of the Four Rivers, as well as witness the masterpieces by Bernini, Borromini, and many others.



After the tour, your guide takes you back to the hotel and you have the evening at leisure.

Day 7: Vatican Sightseeing 
In the morning after breakfast, you meet your guide and walk to a walled enclave and the world’s smallest independent state - Vatican*.

When inside the Vatican, you visit private apartments of Julius II, Pinecone Courtyard, Gallery of the Maps, Gallery of the Tapestries and Gallery of Candelabra. Next, you proceed to the Sistine Chapel, where you have enough time to admire Michelangelo's famous frescoes and learn about the intense relationship between Pope Julius II and Michelangelo that drove the artist to create the greatest work of art the world has ever known.

Your tour continues in the vast open spaces of St. Peter’s Basilica where you see a stunning Pieta - a world-famous work of Renaissance sculpture by Michelangelo, and Bernini's impressive Papal Canopy, a legacy left to the Basilica by the Barberini family.

The ending point of your tour is in St. Peter’s Square, where you can admire Michelangelo's Dome and the gorgeous colonnades designed by Bernini.

After the tour, you are transferred to your hotel and have the rest of the day at leisure to enjoy the beauty of Rome on your own.

*Please note: the Vatican is a sacred religious site thus the dress code for visiting it is applied just as when you visit any church in Italy: no shorts – no uncovered knees and shoulders, no backpacks.  Due to religious services St. Peters Basilica may be spontaneously closed, thus entrance to St. Peters Basilica may not be guaranteed.

Day 8: Homemade Pasta Cooking Class & Market Tour
After breakfast in your hotel, meet with a local host and visit the local market to shop for the seasonal produce before cooking your traditional Roman lunch. 

After exploring the market and meeting the local vendors, you uncover the secret of the typical Italian cuisine with a local chef. On this cooking class, you master the art of making tiramisù and two different pasta doughs. 

Make sure to be hungry for the cooking class as the class is followed by a lunch with the food prepared. During lunch, you have a chance to chat with your fellow travelers and share the impressions of the trip.

Day 9: Departure 
This is the last day of your amazing tour to Italy! After breakfast, your driver meets you at the hotel lobby and takes you to the airport for your flight back home. We wish you a safe flight and hope to work on your future vacations!